For Want of Chocolate
by Sierra-Falls
Summary: “Is it a Wonka bar, Tobes? Please tell me we get to have that candy man’s sinful chocolate and I’ll be your slave for the day.”


Good god, I don t know where these plot bunnies keep coming from, but here s another cross.

Situation: Willy Wonka x Labyrinth cross

WW: pre Golden Ticket competition

Laby: Around 8 years post movie. Toby is a ten year old now and lives with Sarah. Parents are deceased. Sarah is 23 and making her way up the ranks of authors. Jareth is around constantly as he s trying to familiarize Sarah to the concept of being his wife/consort/friend/companion. So far, she s only responded well to the friend/companion roles. The reason why he s still around feeds on itself. He first shows up because he s still very intrigued. This constant contact and interplay lets/makes Sarah s published stories start to heavily reflect on the Underground. This brings belief/power back to the Underground where its been derelict for centuries. Jareth sees her also as consolidating his power.

Gimmick: Toby finds a Golden Ticket instead of Mike TV.

Beginning Scene: The crowd was a crushing, writhing, LOUD mass of grabbing arms and kicking legs. With the amount of chaos one would expect this to be a political riot or even students protesting. Well, they were a quarter right. While the crowd was neither political nor rioting or even protesting, it was primarily comprised of students. High schoolers mingled with those who attended middle and elementary contemporaries; and while longer arms and greater individual strength had an advantage, the sheer quantity of the younger years had a quality of their own. And amidst this mass of humanity one fine-boned sandy haired little boy had a little money in his pocket and a Wonka bar already in hand. It had taken him waay more effort than he had anticipated just to get the one he already had... Scratched arms and a bruised wrist where some high schooler had grabbed him indicated that foring for the desired second chocolate bar was tantamount to child suicide... And yet... Ten your old Toby looked at his bird in hand and imagined his beloved sister/mother figure s face when he whispered his diabolical plan to pull one over his big sister s stalker slash annoyance.

Sarah loved chocolate, most types of candy even, but her iron determination to set a good example for her baby brother did not encourage constant consumption. That and her own childhood growing up under Karen s strict hand ensured that chocolate was an all too rare treat. That was why Toby was at the store in the first place. With the petty cash he had earned doing chores around the house, the mischievous child wanted his sister to get a fair share of chocolate. Up until a few years ago, Sarah would be the one to buy a bar of chocolate and then split it in half; half to Toby and half for herself. Now, the situation had changed by several orders of magnitude. Now, Sarah s somehwat boyfriend, somewhat nuisance always seemed to snitch a portion of what she was consuming, generally as she tried to eat it. Jareth seemed to think that it endeared him to her in some backwards fey thought process. What it really meant in Toby s mind was that his beloved Sarah only got a quarter of the chocolate and that was an injustice on its own obvious merits. Again, that was why he was here at the sweet shop. That was why he was being jostled with utmost rudeness. That was why he was reaching for a candy bar at the exact same time as a pasty weedy looking kid with mousy brown hair and a certifiable sneer that would have been pulled off better if Jareth had been the one to execute it.

Two sets of childish fingers reached the gaily colored wrapping at the same time. Toby s hazel eyes met brown glinting with a fevered air, quite similar to the manner of those around them.

Its mine, was the challenge thrown in a squeaky growl.

Toby frowned. Its for my sister, he rebutted.

This made the glittering brown eyes narrow as the brain behind them processed.

Your sister wants the golden ticket? She s a child too?

She s my guardian, not our age... And what s a golden ticket?

Sticky fingers opened reflexively in shock, allowing Toby sole possession of the contested chocolate bar. **(see footnote)

The scrawny kid immediately realized what happened. That was a nasty trick. How can you not know about Wonka s golden tickets? Why would your sister want this particular bar if not for the ticket?

Toby picked it up thoughtfully but his expression firmed as he made his decision.

This one is special in some way. I can feel it. But if its so special, then Sarah definitely deserves it. She loves chocolate but doesn t het her full share.

Toby was a rather tactful boy for his age. No mention of Goblin Kings coming to steal their food and entice his sister into playing game and riddles. Toby then went on to offer his other Wonka bar to the kid as sort of a consolation. Imagine his shock when his hand was slapped aside.

Brown eyes glared at his in spoiled indignance, enraged at being denied something.

I don t want that pathetic chocolate, I want the other one!

Yes, it was the start of a full blown Mike TV tantrum.

Wary and confused that his offer was so readily rejected, Toby backed away while a tiny kernal of anger was formed from within. He was trying to be nice... That is, up until the words Its not fair tumbled from the other kid s mouth.

Life is not always fair, came Toby s cold words, echoing much like his sister and even Jareth to some degree. This brought the flushing kid to a shocked halt mid-rant. You don t always get what you want made him pale at the remotest foreign thought that his wants might not be met instantaneously as they always were. What drove the point home in Mike TV s ten year old mind was the unwavering certainty, the ironclad knowledge that shone in Toby s eyes throught his posture and bearing and voice. Toby spoke with the assurance of someone who KNEW that this was true about the world and it scared the spoiled boy.

That little bubble of silence encapsulated the two amidst the roar and confusion going on around them until Mike broke the eye contact, tacitly granting Toby the point as well as the chocolate. As Toby dissappeared into the crowd, Mike felt that something somewhere had changed unrevocably.

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

It was only steps away from his door that Toby remembered the reason for the ruckus at the sweet shop. Contemplating the two bars held in his hand, he tried to wrap his mind around the odds of actually winning.

Nah... he murmured to himself, before going in.

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

What little Toby saw upon crossing the threshhold of this sister s quaint abode would have raised the eyebrows and blatant disbelief of anyone who had not been inured to such sights already.

Seated comfortably with her legs tucked delicately underneath, Sarah was reading a manuscript for a friend. A fellow author, or in this case, an author hopeful who had begged the already established and popular Ms. Williams to revise his story. Or at least she was trying to accomodate.

A thinly gloved hand not belonging to her person was twining a long strand of her mahogany tresses, gently tugging every now and then in an attempt to keep attention directed solely where it should be; on him.

Neither did it help her concentration that that insufferable ethereal fae had snuck his flyaway head into her lap and was staring up with mismatched eyes glinting with unholy glee. She wouldn t deign to attempt a struggle as she knew within her soul that nothing would budge him unless it pleased his lordship Of course that very same lack of effort to oust him left a very smug mischievous smirk gracing his features. Sharply defined features. Unwholesomely sinfully inhumanly sharply defined features. Oh yes, it is very well known that Sarah didn t quite know what to do with her uninvited guest. When he was being villainous and kidnapping her brother, yes, then out comes the glorious fighting willfully stubborn you have no power over me Sarah. But when he playfully whines like an adorable petulant ignored boyfriend? No, the world reknowned Ms. Sarah Williams was quite baffled.

Toby just blinked before announcing his presence.

Sis, I ve got chocolate!! he sang out temptingly.

There was a WHOOSH! A THUNK! And a very annoyed British sounding Hey! before Toby realized he was looking directly into the wide sparkly eyes of a kneeling, no, begging older sister.

Is it a Wonka bar, Tobes? Please tell me we get to have that candy man s sinful chocolate and I ll be your slave for the day.

But before he could reply, Toby found his chocolate bar swept out of his hand to be scrutinized by mismatched eyes.

My my, dear Sarah, if this was all it took to get you to be a slave, I wouldn t have offered you the underground. And the Goblin King finished this with a wicked smirk as his gaze refocused beyond the pretty wrapper to the one he had set his amorous sights on, even if she wouldn t acknowledge it yet. While he was more than pleased to know have her full attention, albeit furous and annoyed, the errant Goblin King felt something slither through his being when he thought of the appreciation his Sarah seemed to have for the sinful chocolate the candy man created.

But his mind was jarred from such thinking when the young Tobias siezed the opportunity his reverie presented and pounced on the arm holding the chocolate bar captive. With the human s arms and legs curled around Jareth s limb, the King was unable to block the sibling s tag team, thus allowing Sarah to abscond merrily with the prize. 


End file.
